The Scavenger and the Old Man's Treasure
Author's Note:
The contest is on
a treasure hunt with five given items that I must write on. I did it my way and
sealed it with love.
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Steve, my grandson
dragged me by my right hand to follow him. I had to tell him to slow down as at
my age, the legs ain't that strong to walk the pace he is going. We went out of
the house to the garage. For a five-year-old kid with the mind that shaped
Indiana Jones's thoughts, he is ever adventurous. He is ever doing something
stupid like trying to climb up a chimney or fixing the faucet that has been
dripping since Martha died five years ago. I told him not to repair that as it
reminds me of his grandmother who always forget to turn off the faucet. As for
the chimney attempt, I did have to drag him down by his heels and we had a day
of washing to do. But that is what summer holidays are all about; fun and more
fun.
Steve has been digging into
my old crates of a long time forgotten memories and I see no harm in him going
through that as long as he does hurt himself on any of those old blades I have
kept there. They are relics of my days when I was a fan of the character 'Conan
the Barbarian'. I remembered I had some replica blades done and it only saw
light for one month before Martha stored them away for good. She said it was
silly of me trying to look like Conan when I am more built around the waist
than the upper torso. More to it, it was a waste of my pension funds to pay for
those worthless blades on the Auction Hall. I would have protested strongly,
but Martha is my 'Queen Belit' like the Queen was to Conan in the books. I bowed
to no woman except her in my life.
Steve had to pull
me and he has opened up some of those old crates with their contents spilled
out. He has found my old blade but it's still in its pristine scabbard and safe
from any harm to the boy. Steve offered me a crate to sit on as he knows my
knees would not be able to move up if I would sit on the floor. Steve has
gotten himself busy as there are half a dozen crates there all opened with the
contents strewn on the floor. He was asking me to induced myself in the life I
had before. We both had a good laugh as he also showed me the tray of cookies
and cola drinks he has prepared beforehand.
It was then I
spied the item I had not seen for six years now. It's a collection of piano
recitals by Liberace; one of Martha's favorite than when she was laying in the
bed with her cancer taking over her body. I found the CD in the Junk Yard; a
shop where you get everything from yesterday. I played it for Martha every day
at precisely eleven in the morning to wake her up for her late breakfast. She
needed the sleep as her body keeps her awake throughout the night. She would
open her eyes and smile at me as Liberace takes us to the days when we could
still dance on the floor. There are twelve songs on the CD and she would listen
to them all, forgetting her pain as her mind gets engulfed by the music. I
wanted to bury the CD with her but I could not bear to leave it with her. It's
my last bond with her. I had kept listening to it for a year after her death and
one day the CD player stopped. I did not bother to repair it nor I touched it
since that day. Maybe Evelyn, Steve's mother could have taken it out and packed
it here when I was in the hospital three years ago. Evelyn packed a lot of her
mother's stuff here but I did not dare to come here to look at them in these
conditions until today.
Steve gave me a
book to hold. He found it in the crates and it looked frayed. The title of the
book was Everywoman by Derek Llewellyn-Jones; it also belonged to Martha. It
tells everything you need to know about a woman's health. I dread having to
read the book when I saw it on our dresser. Martha used to joke about it with
me that I would be able to appreciate the woman in her more if I had read the
book. I told the woman of my life that I know her from her hairline to toes and
her heart, and that to me is enough for a lifetime. And if I need more, I can
always ask Evelyn as she is a doctor. But I am not that curious anymore since
we have been married for over thirty-five years now. And now I am holding the
same book she read for the last five years before she was diagnosed with her
illness. It did not tell her why she had to die of that and it would never tell
me any either. So I should leave the book to its resting place among her stuff
as her memories.
It was then I saw
the small Teddy bear that I gave to Evelyn when she was five like Steve. It was
her first stuffed toy as Martha did not want her daughter to play with them
earlier for fear of dust in the furs. Evelyn was always looking for a Teddy bear
of her own then. She even 'borrowed' one of her friends without their
knowledge, and I had to return it with some words of apology. I am surprised
that she did not keep the Teddy bear but kept it here. I offered it to Steve,
but he said no. He prefers his Transformer more than this crummy bear.
I saw in Steve's
hand the very item I gave to Martha on our first Valentine; the snow globe with
the Christmas Tree in it. I could not afford a real Valentine's Present so I
packed the Christmas gift of my mum for Martha. I am fourteen then and I kinda
liked Martha then. How was I know that it lasted for over half a century? I
took from Steve the snow globe and set it next to me on the crate. I am keeping
that for my coming last days as I would like to see Martha again this coming
Christmas.
But the sparkle of
the golden picture frame caught my eyes as Steve got up to opened another
crate. He had leaned the picture frame against the crate as he could be afraid
he would have sat on it. It the frame which holds my medal of valor for bravery
during the war. It was signed by the 36th President of the United States of America.
I used to carry Steve when he was much younger and lighter to showed him the
frame on the fireplace. Then we will both salute at the medal before we scot
off for our dinner at the table. He must have forgotten about it as he was only
two years of age and I was an old man with a lot of memories of a past
President. But he was my President then and I am proud to serve him. Just as I
lost many of my friends then, but we died for a cause which we believed right.
I leaned down to picked up the picture frame and held it to my heart. It was a
sad day when I stood there to received the medal as it was also my momento of
my two good friends who died in the same battle that day. They had to receive
their posthumous alongside mine.
I heard the shrill
voice of my daughter as she comes charging into the garage. She is reprimanding
my grandson for messing up the things she packed years ago, and now all strewn
on the floor. I walked up to her and hugged her. I told her if not for the
scavenger son of hers, I would not have found my memories of the family. I
assured her that we will pack it away as neatly as possible but she shooed us
off before we can even pick up a single item.
I am laying now in
my bed on the eve of Christmas with the few moments I had salvaged from that
hunt at my bedside dresser. It would be there tomorrow morning when Steve comes
in but I would not be able to greet him in person then. As I have promised
Martha that day on Valentine Day's, I would never leave her alone too long. And
five years apart has been too long for her.
But my last wish
was these momento to be left here for my grandson and not packed in another
crate for another scavenger hunt. It's time to sleep now...
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